Golf Balls
I had the opportunity to tour the Titleist golf ball plant recently. I’m not
allowed to tell any secrets I learned there under penalty of death, but needless
to say golf balls have come a long way. Technology and innovations in materials
have allowed manufacturers to build a golf ball that can do almost everything
but wash your car. And, it’s not just Titleist. Callaway, Bridgest...
I had the opportunity to tour the Titleist golf ball plant recently. I’m not
allowed to tell any secrets I learned there under penalty of death, but needless
to say golf balls have come a long way. Technology and innovations in materials
have allowed manufacturers to build a golf ball that can do almost everything
but wash your car. And, it’s not just Titleist. Callaway, Bridgestone, Wilson,
Srixon, and TaylorMade all make incredible golf balls. So, which one is right
for you?
Generally speaking, here are some things to consider when looking for the right
golf ball:
1) Spin is your friend around the green so it will stop on approach shots.
2) Spin is your enemy off the tee box, where a mishit shot will be accentuated
by a higher spin rate.
3) The higher your handicap, generally the less spin you want in your golf ball.
4) Softer balls or “feel” golf balls are very important to some golfers, and
totally irrelevant to others.
5) Just because a ball is expensive, does not make it necessarily better for
you.
6) Golf balls are no longer wound. They are made of a solid core of varying
materials, and up to 3 additional layers including the cover.
7) Manufacturers can change any of the layers to affect velocity, speed,
trajectory, spin, control, and of course distance.
So, now that I have totally confused you, which golf ball is right for you?
Sadly, the best answer is, it depends. Do you hit the golf ball high or low?
Would you sacrifice 15 yards to be in the fairway or do you want every yard you
can get, regardless of where it lands? Is feel off the clubface important to
you? Are you a 5 handicapper that can work the golf ball with all your clubs, or
a 25 handicapper thrilled to be on the short grass? All will help determine the
right ball for you.
Manufacturers like Titleist, Callaway, Wilson, Srixon, and Bridgestone generally
break golf balls down into several categories. Distance golf balls are usually
2-piece balls that go a long way, feel harder than most, and have little spin.
Control balls focus almost exclusively on reducing spin to keep you in the
fairway. Feel golf balls are softer by reducing the compression of the core. And
lastly, performance balls bring in elements of all the above by using
multi-layers. These are like Titleist’s Pro V1’s, Callaway Tour X, Bridgestone’s
B330 and Rx balls and Srixon’s Z Star balls provide little spin off the tee, and
great feel around the green. I hope this helps, if not, I would suggest you buy
a dozen of every ball we sell and try them all yourself. Let me know what you
find out.
Dave Austad
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